I note in that list some products are simply listed as an extract of some plant or flower with no clear idea what that extract is. Strychnine is commonly extracted from the Strychnos nux-vomica plant so could be labelled by the standards of the ingredient list you posted as “Strychnos nux-vomica extract” which is a not very clear definition of the compound.
Shea Butter is mostly fatty acids Stearic acid and Oleic acid but like Sunflower oils also has other compounds.
From Wikipedia " Piroctone olamine (INN; also known as piroctone ethanolamine ; brand name Octopirox ) is a compound sometimes used in the treatment of fungal infections.[1] Piroctone olamine is the ethanolaminesalt of the hydroxamic acid derivative piroctone.
It is often used in anti-dandruff shampoo as a replacement for the commonly used compound zinc pyrithione. It is structurally similar to ciclopirox and pyrithione, containing a substituted pyridine (pyridinone) group which inhibits ergosterol synthesis"
What the “extract” term hides is in reality a long list of chemical compounds.
I never stated it is organic or 100% pure natural ingredients, I simply compared the two and choose the one that 1.does the job and 2. has less nasties.
If you want a really 100% organic sun creme, then coconut oil (certified organic) would give you a limited sun protection (SPF 7).
This is a common problem. There are so many substances used in food and cosmetics, where you are absorbing them directly, and many other situations where you might ingest them in some way where no detailed toxicological analysis is available.
Even where an ingredient has been well characterised in isolation it is rare for it to be studied as part of a mixture. So possible chemical interactions between all the ingredients or the consequences of ingesting the combination of all of them is generally unknown. As a rule there has to be some reason to think there might be a problem before spending lots of money going looking for it. Both extensive laboratory studies and epidemiological studies are expensive.
For those who think that “natural” ingredients (whatever that is) don’t have either of these problems that is not so. In many cases a traditional ingredient has not been studied - it is assumed that if we haven’t noticed any problems over the years there aren’t any and there are not going to be any in some new use in the future. This assumption may or may not be true, we just have to hope that it is. There have been cases, such as traditional Chinese medicine, where quite dangerous ingredients have been found.
It comes down there being a risk in breathing, eating, drinking and rubbing stuff on your skin. You can be in error assessing that risk either to low or too high. Thinking that you will be safe by not taking any risks is certain death because you need to eat, drink and breathe.
Nor was I referring to organic or natural but rather the quite non descriptive term of extract. Extract as I noted could cover a number of chemical compounds good or bad or ineffectual. Would you know it has less nasties? Not really, you just hope the extract is the more beneficial parts rather than the less beneficial.
Glycerin you state is not a choice of your ingredients but it can be used by other names and in many of the oils there is glycerin related compounds or identical product. From https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegetable-glycerin "Vegetable glycerin, also known as glycerol or glycerine, is a clear liquid typically made from soybean, coconut or palm oils. It is odorless and has a mild, sweet taste with a syrup-like consistency.
Vegetable glycerin is particularly popular in the cosmetic industry but has several other uses as well. It may also provide health benefits, ranging from skin health to better hydration and a strengthened gut"
Sunflower oil is also used because it has quantities of glycerides particularly if hydrogenated to help stabilise/solidify the oil but they do occur naturally in the oil. From https://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/helianthus-annuus-sunflower-seed-oil is this “The addition of hydrogen atoms to sunflower seed oil results in Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil. Sunflower Seed Glycerides is a mixture of mono-, di- and triglycerides derived from sunflower seed oil, while Sunflower Seed Glyceride is the monoglyceride derived from sunflower seed oil”.
I am not in any way suggesting your product is bad or that it doesn’t work. What I am saying is that some products clearly define each additive to them, and others use/d ambiguous terms like extract to make the list seem less chemical and more “friendly” to use. Does that make the chemical listed names bad for you? No, it just provides more clarity about what is in a product.
Another thing is that when on the human body and interacting with our system many compounds are metabolically changed to different compounds eg Retinol becomes Retinoic acid, both however are Vit A compounds with Retinoic acid being the active compound.
Thanks for your lengthy reply! You are right, glycerin can be derived from any oil, ex.: lard, tallow, palm oil and coconut oil. In real life it is a by-product of soap making industry. It is why it is popular in the cosmetic industry -cheap!
By the way, the Organic Chemistry was an extensive part of my uni studies, and also later in life I took a monthly course ‘Making cosmetics at home’. The process of making a cream is mixing oils, as they are, with emulsifiers. The examples of the latter are agar, alginate, gelatin, casein, pectin, yolk, cetyl alcohol, waxes, cetearyl alcohol, and so on. Obviously, using yolk in your formula won’t give your crème a long shelf life, so you will need to add preservatives, and so on. You got the idea – any cream is a chemical formulation, it is why I mention, if you want to be a purist, use coconut oil, or make your own formulation, keep in a fridge and use up within 7 days.
The evidence supports that nano particles in sunscreen do not cause any harm to users. Mr Mercola’s article provides no supported reasoning to avoid using nano particles in sunscreen.
For a read of why they are considered safe I have provided a link to the TGA’s review (that includes citations) of the safety of nano particles in sunscreens:
Another article that references a study done in Australia in 2018 that again shows that nano particles are unlikely to be toxic, they do not penetrate the skin and that sunscreen using them is safe:
As someone who has used this sunscreen- and has repurchased- I’m still not sure about the pricetag. I do think it’s prohibitively expensive BUT:
This product has allowed me to wear sunscreen every day. My face is very sensitive to many sunscreens (both chemical and physical), but this is one of the only ones that has held up to the test. It hasn’t caused my face to react poorly, it protects well against burn, it is quite lovely to apply, and complements the skin nicely. It does feel much more like a skin treatment than a sunscreen. Those who wear makeup and work in a professional setting may also appreciate how well this works under foundation.
That said, the amount they recommend to apply (2.5-3 pipettes) seems… excessive. I suspect this is to stop people from skimping out on how much they use because of the pricetag, but the skeptical part of me thinks that it’s so people drain the bottle quickly and keep having to fork out $$$. I do think the cost is too expensive, but for now I will continue to pay the $47 not because I have an enormous ego, but because it’s worth it to not look like I’ve been punched in the face every time I apply sunscreen.
I will note that this sunscreen goes on my face and ears and ONLY on my face and ears. My neck, chest, arms, etc. receive a much cheaper body sunscreen as it’s really only my face that requires care.
TLDR; the cost is a bit of a scam but the product has worked beautifully with my extremely sensitive skin so the pricetag is one I’m willing to pay.
